Lillian Kemble-Cooper (March 21, 1892 – May 4, 1977) was an English-American actress who had a successful career on Broadway and in Hollywood film.

Biography

Early life

Lillian Kemble-Cooper was a member of the

Kemble family Kemble is the name of a family of English actors, who reigned over the English stage for many decades. The most famous were Sarah Siddons (1755–1831) and her brother John Philip Kemble (1757–1823), the two eldest of the twelve children of Ro ...

, a family of English actors, who reigned over the British stage for decades. She was born as a daughter of stage actor Frank Kemble-Cooper. Her younger brother Anthony Kemble-Cooper (1904–2000) and her elder sister

Violet Kemble-Cooper Violet Kemble-Cooper (12 December 1886 – 17 August 1961) was an English-American stage and film actress who appeared on stage and in Hollywood film. Early life Born in London, she was a descendant from a well-known theatrical family, the Kem ...

also worked as actors.

Career

Kemble-Cooper first stage appearance was as a member of the chorus in a September, 1914, production of ''

The Chocolate Soldier ''The Chocolate Soldier'' (German: ''Der tapfere Soldat''

he courageous soldier He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...

or ''Der Praliné-Soldat'') is an operetta composed in 1908 by Oscar Straus (composer), Oscar Straus based on George Bernard Shaw's 1894 play, ''Arms and the Man' ...

'' at the Lyric Theatre, London. She soon after went to the United States, where she appeared in several

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

productions. In 1919 she appeared in the original ''

Hitchy-Koo ''Hitchy-Koo'' is a 1912 American popular song and a series of musical revues, inspired by the song, staged on Broadway each year from 1917 through 1920 and on tour in 1922. Described by ''Variety'' magazine as a "hit song of 1912", the song was c ...

''. Later in her career she became a film actress and appeared in about 20 films, mostly in minor supporting roles. In Hollywood, Kemble-Cooper portrayed mostly aristocrats, spinsters and servants. She is perhaps best-remembered for her short appearance as Bonnie Blue Butler's nurse in London in ''

Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Wind may also refer to: Music * ''Gone with the Wind'' ...

'', the only non-American character in the film.

Personal life and death

In 1923 Kemble-Cooper married former World War I pilot and writer, Louis G. Bernheimer, who died in 1930. Her second husband was actor

Guy Bates Post Guy Bates Post (September 22, 1875 – January 16, 1968) was an American character actor who appeared in at least twenty-one Broadway plays and twenty-five Hollywood films over a career that spanned more than fifty years. He was perhaps best rem ...

; the marriage lasted for over thirty years until his death in 1968. Kemble died on May 4, 1977 in Los Angeles. She was buried at the

Hollywood Forever Cemetery Hollywood Forever Cemetery is a full-service cemetery, funeral home, crematory, and cultural events center which regularly hosts community events such as live music and summer movie screenings. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angeles ...

Selected filmography

* ''

I Like Your Nerve ''I Like Your Nerve'' is a 1931 American pre-Code romantic comedy film directed by William C. McGann, starring Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Loretta Young. Boris Karloff has a small role.''Catalog of Holdings The American Film Institute Collection ...

'' (1931) - Condesa Vecchio (uncredited) * ''

Personal Maid's Secret ''Personal Maid's Secret'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by Arthur Greville Collins and written by Lillie Hayward and F. Hugh Herbert. The film stars Margaret Lindsay, Warren Hull, Anita Louise, Ruth Donnelly, Arthur Treacher and Fran ...

'' (1935) - Mrs. Palmer (uncredited) * ''

Three Live Ghosts ''Three Live Ghosts'' is a novel by Frederic Isham published in 1918. He adapted it into the 1920 Broadway play of the same name produced by Max Marcin. There were also three film adaptations: * ''Three Live Ghosts'' (1922 film), a British com ...

'' (1936) - Lady Brockton * '' The White Angel'' (1936) - Parthenope 'Parthe' Nightingale * ''

A Woman Rebels ''A Woman Rebels'' is a 1936 American historical drama film adapted from the 1930 novel ''Portrait of a Rebel'' by Netta Syrett and starring Katharine Hepburn as Pamela Thistlewaite, who rebels against the social mores of Victorian England. The f ...

'' (1936) - Lady Rinlake (uncredited) * '' Ready, Willing, and Able'' (1937) - Mrs. Buffington (Credits) / Bloomington (in Film) * '' We Are Not Alone'' (1939) - Mrs. Stacey (uncredited) * ''

'' (1939) - Bonnie's Nurse in London * ''

Lady with Red Hair ''Lady with Red Hair'' (1940) is an American historical drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Miriam Hopkins, Claude Rains and Richard Ainley. Released by Warner Brothers it stars Hopkins as the nineteenth century actress Mrs. Le ...

'' (1940) - London Party Guest (uncredited) * ''

Rage in Heaven ''Rage in Heaven'' is a 1941 American psychological thriller film noir about the destructive power of jealousy. It was directed by W.S. Van Dyke and based on the 1932 novel by James Hilton. It features Robert Montgomery, Ingrid Bergman, and Geo ...

'' (1941) - Nurse (uncredited) * ''

A Woman's Face ''A Woman's Face'' is a 1941 American Drama (film and television), drama film directed by George Cukor and starring Joan Crawford, Melvyn Douglas and Conrad Veidt. It tells the story of Anna Holm, a facially disfigured blackmailer, who because of ...

'' (1941) - Nurse (uncredited) * '' So Big'' (1953) - Miss Fister * '' Moonfleet'' (1955) - Mary Hicks (uncredited) * ''

The King's Thief ''The King's Thief'' is a 1955 swashbuckling CinemaScope adventure film directed by Robert Z. Leonard, who replaced Hugo Fregonese during filming. Released on August 5, 1955, the film takes place in London at the time of Charles II and stars A ...

'' (1955) - Mrs. Fell * '' Gaby'' (1956) - Mrs. Edward (uncredited) * ''

D-Day the Sixth of June ''D-Day the Sixth of June'' is a DeLuxe Color 1956 CinemaScope romance war film made by 20th Century Fox. It was directed by Henry Koster and produced by Charles Brackett from a screenplay by Ivan Moffat and Harry Brown, based on the 1955 nove ...

'' (1956) - British Nurse (uncredited) * ''

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons f ...

'' (1964) - Lady Ambassador (uncredited) (final film role)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kemble-Cooper, Lillian 1892 births 1977 deaths English stage actresses English film actresses British emigrants to the United States Actresses from London 20th-century English actresses Kemble family